


Sympathy for the devil

by Purging_Infinity



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Bi-Curiosity, Blood and Gore, Body Worship, Derogatory Language, F/M, GUNS! GUNS! GUNS!, M/M, Medical Procedures, Post-Season/Series 08 AU, Rimming, Shower Sex, Spanish Translation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-01 22:35:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14530749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purging_Infinity/pseuds/Purging_Infinity
Summary: Post Season 8AU - Doctor Jenner lives.Negan survives after having his throat slashed by Rick. While in recovery, he meets Hill Tops second doctor after he returns from a scavenging trip. Dr. Jenner and Rick decide on what to do with him, stirring up all kinds of interesting problems.





	1. S8 E16 - The room

**Author's Note:**

> I originally started this a while ago titled "Prisoners of war", but ditched the collection because I thought it sounded stupid and unrealistic.  
> Negan is sometimes difficult to write for because of his unpredictability and mood shifts.  
> I'm trying another shot at it, taking my time this time around in hopes it'll be better. :)
> 
> As always, comments and ideas are welcome. Let me know if you're enjoying it and I'll do my best to keep posting.
> 
> Copyright always goes to AMC's The Walking Dead and it's original owners. Except Gimple. He needs to go hump a walker with AIDS. :p

"We know you're awake," the female voice says. The voice belongs to Michonne, the black woman with the katana, Negan reminds himself. Rick's.. girlfriend.

"Never said I wasn't," he whispers back. His neck is still very tender from being sliced open, then stitched shut by Rick's stand-in doctor, Siddiq. 

"Good," she tells him, "Cause we need to tell you some things. And you don't need to open your eyes now... but you'll open them soon. Because we're gonna make you watch what happens."

Negans brown eyes slowly open. He's survived hell since the outbreak took place, so his mind automatically fears the possibility that he might just be stuck observing his own death in a few minutes. Who knows the method.

"This isn't about who you killed," Rick says as they exchange looks, Negan's looking tired, but alert, "No. No we've killed people," he assures, "This is about what you did to us. What you did to so many people. How you made people live for YOU. How you put people under your boot."

Negan is still holds onto his beliefs for now. About how he was perfectly justified to murder and maim because he took in so many. Out of the horrors that had become the world, "I.. save people.."

Michonne applies pressure to his neck with her strong fingertips, causing him to choke on air. The stitches burn and his skin feels like it might tear under the grip.  
Their doctor, who has remained silent in the background, speaks up then. He calls Michonne's name to get her attention, not advising any further damage to be done to their new prisoner.

"He needs to know," she says calmly, not sparing Negan an inch of remorse at the moment, "This isn't a discussion."  
Rick follows suit with discussion of cruelty, "We could open up his stitches, just to remind him for a little while," he says before Negan keeps quiet again and bites his tongue from further comments. He's far too exhausted anyways.  
"Carl pictured something better. All of us, working together. For something bigger then us all," Rick adds, "And you'll have a job too."

Michonne lessens her hand, still stoic in tone, "Yeah. You get to be part of it. You'll be an example of what this will be."

"We're not gonna kill you. We're not gonna hurt you," Rick admits with honesty, "You're gonna rot. In a cell."  
"For the rest of your life. Day after day..." the ebony woman adds in.  
"You're gonna be evidence that we're making a civilization. Somethin' like what we had. Something we're gonna get back."

Somewhere in Negan's mind, he laughs. Thinks they're nieve to even try. Thinks it's an impossible task. A pipe dream.  
"And you get to watch it happen. And you get to see how wrong you were. About what people can be. About what life can be," she tells him with a glimmer of knowing in her eyes.   
He wonders then, with a tiny sliver of hope peering through, if maybe they can pull it off. After all, they beat him, and he NEVER thought he'd loose. Not to them.

His eyes shift to Rick, "You, alive, is gonna show people that things have changed. By keeping you breathing, there's another way. A better way. That's the part you'll play." Justice served. Just like old world before the virus crushed it to shambles. It's what they mean. Structure to the weak, and peace to those who follow the rules laid before them. Equality.  
Michonne snickers, stopping just at the doorway before following Rick out of the room, "So after all this... maybe you're good for somethin'."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EDITED.
> 
> Jenner and Rick tend to Negan, and the doctor has himself a get-to-know-you. Without anyone left to care for him, including all his wives, Negan starts testing just how far he can push his luck.

"Welcome back doctor," Rick says with a smile and generous hug.   
"Appreciated, as always. It's good to be home," the tall blonde man replies with an equally large smile.  
Rick helps him carry his bags inside, the truck he's arrived in now being tended to by the community workers. They unload boxes upon boxes of medical supplies, equipment and blankets, all scavenged from a near by medical clinic several miles away.  
"Any trouble getting out?" Rick asks as they walk towards the place they've deemed the medical wing here on Hilltop.  
"Was tight, I won't lie. Place was a zoo on the first floor. Parking lots were filled with walkers," the doctor tells him, but the flash of smile makes Rick rejoice inside, "but we cleared them out. Got a lot of good equipment too. I'm glad you had bullets and the help to spare. I really am."

"With the war that just happened, we needed to be ready for worse," Rick sighs, wishing they could return to Alexandria again someday.

"So catch me up. What happened when I left?" The doctor questions. 

They both sit down inside the main exam room, Rick telling the tale of Eugine's bullets backfiring into the hands of the Saviors. How they practically won a war with narry a single shot fired.  
The blonde beside him slaps his knee and laughs, reeling in the news, "No fucking way! Absolutely amazing. I can't believe it! Your luck astounds me, Rick Grimes. Really. Just rediculous."

"Well, we're still glad to have you back Jenner. We'll be overstocked for winter and have two doctors to spare." Rick holds his hand out, the blonde man taking it firmly to shake on yet another great accomplishment.   
"I'm happy to support the team. It's given me reason to live."

Rick is reaching over to pat him on the shoulder in good faith when Siddiq enters the exam room. He greets doctor Jenner, welcoming his return as well, "Good to see you again, Edwin. The days have been crazy without you, my friend."

But their reunion is cut short as workers begin to flood the room with boxes holding supplies.  
"Yes, here, place those in the corner. Thank you," Siddiq instructs them as he dodges around them all. Rick decides it's time to get out of their way, so he waves doctor Jenner to follow him.  
They leave the young Arab man to lead the stock providers, while they step back out into the large hall to talk.  
"I know you just got back, but can I ask for a favour? Once you've had time to recover from travelling, I mean," Rick requests with a slight timidness in his voice.

Jenner is hardly one to back away from a challenge, so it pirks his curiosity, "Of course Rick. What can I do?"

A mild scrunch of his nose tells the doctor that this clearly isn't something Rick wants to burden him with, "I'd like to ask you for your professional opinion on something. Or rather, someone."   
"I'm not the greatest with psychology, but I took a few courses. Why? What's going on?" The blonde doctor asks him with consern.  
"Negan. We captured him alive with the intention of using him as an example to the others. That by having a prison, we can re-introduce a justice system into the local population."

Jenner runs a hand through his hair, slightly surprised the guy wasn't killed during the final confrontations, "I understand the intentions, but... don't you think it's a bit unfair to those who lost people? What about your son? Or Glenn?" He questions.

"It's what Carl wanted. He wrote me a letter, and I read it. He believed there was another way, Jenner. That we could achive peace by avoiding death."

The doctors green eyes drop in thought, "A last will and testiment then. I have to respect that. He was a wise boy for his age," He sighs, arms falling heavily to his sides, "What do you want me to do? I can't exactly rehabilitate him into society. He might never recover from his past behaviours."

"I wouldn't expect him to. Just tend to him as his doctor. Learn what you can through conversation. It's all we can hope for right now," Rick says with just as lost of an expression. "The police used to profile people before it all went to hell and back. There's gotta be answers locked away in that head of his. In his past, maybe?"

"I'll see what I can do. No promises though. The guy seems pretty unstable. I doubt he'd be a willing participant once he figures out what we're doing."

Rick smirks, starting to walk off back outside when he hears his name being called, "Ever train a hungry dog before?" He hints with a note of sarcasm.

\----

Negan's bedoom door clicks open, his eyes slowly opening to see who enters.  
A tall blonde man enters who he only faintly remembers from back at the beginning, when he first met Rick and his scooby gang.

"Evening Mister Negan," the doctor tells him when he sees Negan is fully conscious, "Or is it just Negan?"   
Great, Negan thinks, his first anoying visitor from the collective.   
The man takes a seat on a chair left in the room, pulling it over until it's next to his bed. He's dressed casual, a pair of jeans, sneakers and a button up plaid shirt blending him in like anyone else here.

"What do you want?" Negan wheezes before coughing quietly. He's staring up at the ceiling instead of making eye contact because of how stupid he feels being bound to a bed.  
He's being looked over, the guy leaning in bravely close to take a look at his neck bandage, "I'm your newly assigned doctor," the man quietly says while distracted, "I'm wondering if you remember me. From the night you killed Glenn Rhee."

Negan has to think. The group was large that night, and it was dark, but he can picture the faces in his mind, "Jog my memory a little," he requests without sounding like he has a lot of energy right now. 

"I guess I look a little different without a big blonde and orange beard, huh. Doctor Jenner ring a bell?" 

Negan feels a smile tug the corner of his mouth as the image comes into view of the doctor down on his knees, dirty and scared within the circle of his Saviors, "Riiight. The left over from the CDC."   
He swallows tenderly, still taking shots at people while he's wounded, "You looked like shit that day. Can't blame ya though, hangin' out with Grimes can do that. He'll run you ragged."

"I think not being able to tend to yourself for two weeks can do that as well, but nice try, shifting the blame and what-not," the doctor tells him with a flat tone.  
His voice is deep, baritone like his, Negan notices, but it has a soft warmth to it. Probably pussy bait with all those years clocked at medical school too, he scoffs to himself. He can almost bet he sold a Porche to this jackass before the outbreak happened. He'd bet money on it.

"Can I take a look at what I'll be dealing with? Or would you rather I have some people hold your head still? Your call," Jenner asks him, "I'd like to hope we can get along well if I'm going to be helping you get back on your feet again. I won't judge you. I just want to treat you as my patient."

Negan shifts his brown eyes over to look at him now, taking him in for future reference, "Touch me gentle and I might start thinking you're going sweet on me, doctor." 

Jenner finds the mockery rather amusing, so he just does his best to play along with Negan and his sarcastic ways for now if it means keeping his guest entertained, "You never know. I am single and not under oath anymore."   
He takes his pen light out of his chest pocket and leans right in close, turning it on and staring into each of Negan's eyes with it, "Look to the left please? And... to the right?"   
When he turns it off and puts it away he pulls out a note pad and scribbles something down that makes Negan start to feel nervous, "Something I should be worried about besides having my neck ripped open?"

"Yeah," The doctor sighs, "Possible concussion. Got nailed in the head a few times during your fight, I'm assuming?"

Negan pictures the fight on the hill, tumbling down it until he and Rick smacked into the big oak tree decorated with stainglass. He can't remember how many times he got hit, but he does agree that there was a sharp pain in his head when the light was shined into his vision.  
"Fucking figures he does more then intended," he grumbles.

"It happens. We'll just keep a watch on it. Should heal fine in the next week or so consitering you won't be moving around much out of this room," Jenner instructs before sitting back down and moving onto the next problem.   
He takes a set of keys out of his back pocket and shows them to the prisoner on the bed, "I'm gonna bet I can't unlock your injured arm without you trying to grab me or go for these, so lets just start slow for trust." He puts them down on top of his pen and note pad, a desk next to the bed not but a foot or two away in reaching distance.

His arm can't go very high in the handcuff while it's locked to the bedside, but the doctor tries to pick it up anyways and observe it without taking off the wrap, "Fingers stayed on, that's always a good sign. Can you tell me what hurts the most, or can't function?"

Negan shifts back and forth, trying to turn his hand over and just gets frustrated, "These fucking cuffs for starters. They expect me to heal with metal crap wrapped around my arm! Bunch of bullshit!"

"Alright, settle down. Gimmy a second," Edwin calmly tells him before getting up and opening the bedroom door. He only needs to stick his head outside it to find people near by. It reaffirms to Negan that there are likely people posted outside his room while the doctor is here with him.  
When the guy comes back in from talking to someone, Rick is the first person to follow him in, "I gotta get this cuff off if I'm to look at his hand. It's just not helping."

Rick is nodding, somber as always, "Alright. Gather what supplies you need, we'll try and keep this quick. No surprises." Jenner agrees and quickly leaves the room again, going down the hall to gather a few things.  
It leaves Negan a chance to glare daggers at Rick and vice versa, "Cute doctor you got me. No nurse?"   
Rick doesn't look like he's impressed with his jokes, "No. No nurse. You're lucky Jenner is taking care of you himself and not leaving you to be dealt with by me. I would've cut yer damn hand off."

"Touchy, touchy," Negan croons, "I'll play nice with him. But be warned, guy starts to get a little weird once you keep him in prison for too long, know what I'm sayin'?" He snorts with a smirk.

"I think you had enough sex to last you a while. No one's coming to see you for conjugal visit, as far as I'm conserned. All your wives went back to their families or left. You're stuck with us now."

Negan lets that soak in. Bunch of sluts. Figures they'd all give up on him and bail. He does his best to hide the pain he feels from the abandonment, by shrugging it off and joking again, "Guess it's just me and ol' lefty then.. or not, since I'm chained to the fucking bed like a rejected dog." 

The doctor returns before Rick can say anything more, a small basket of goods in one hand, "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"  
Rick shakes his head no and waves him to come over, "It's fine. Let's just get this done. I need sleep and a bath tonight."

Edwin agrees, he could use a shower and a comfortable bed tonight after hiding in a van for a week with four other people.  
He sets the basket on Negan's chest and tells Rick to go ahead and unlock the right hand. It's Negan's dominant hand, so he's hoping it'll heal quickly in case he needs to punch someone in the skull in the near future.  
He doesn't struggle or make a move to hurt anyone once the cuff is off. Just lays still and holds it up while Jenner starts to unwrap it, "Where's the trust Rick? You think I have enough strength in these fingers to hurt yer little ol' doctor here? Too shame."

Once his hand is exposed he cringes, the cold air making it pinch and sting where it's been burnt from the recoiled gun powder.  
"Yeah.. that could use some ointment and a cleaning. I'm sorry, but this is gonna hurt like a bitch," Jenner says as he uncaps the peroxide bottle.  
"I can take it, lay it on me brother!" Negan boasts before the doctor grabs him by the wrist and dangles his hand over a trash can. His hand is quickly soaked over before being released, Negan reeling it back in close to his body as it trembles with pain, "MOTHER FUCKER! FUCK! FUCKING FUCK!"

Jenner waves his hand to him because he needs it back, and Negan nearly doesn't want to out of fear it'll get worse.   
"Come on, I'll numb it up, get a few stitches in it, and it'll be good as new. I promise," the blonde man tells him, but it takes Rick nudging him to get him to comply. He mutters something about disliking doctors prodding him, but extends his arm back out so Jenner can take it.   
It gets a nice cool water rinse before the garbage is pushed away and the doctor scoots in closer to start his stitches. There are only a few bad enough to warrent the thread and needle, so it's just a few jabs with the numbing agent before he loses feeling in his hand and starts to relax.  
Two, three stitches later and he's all done.

"When's the last time you had a tetanus shot? I'm conserned this might get infected, having a third degree burn and shots having gone off on it," Edwin asks, but of course Negan has no idea about his medical history.  
"The fuck should I know? I dunno, a year ago? Two years? Does it matter?"

"It does if you want to keep your hand," Rick tells him. 

"What a load of crap. Just wrap the damn thing," He complains again, his voice starting to crack from over use. He lays back against the pillows and closes his eyes, feeling stressed he's still got Grimes breathing down his neck for this.   
The doctor can see it in his eyes, so he asks Rick to come away from the bed, "He's doing okay. Just.. wait outside. If I need you, you'll know."

"You sure? I wouldn't trust him Ed. He's like a bear trap waiting to snap shut," the officer reminds him. But Jenner shoos him again, "Nah, he's alright. Go on. It'll just be a minute."   
So Rick steps out into the hall, quietly pulling the door shut. Negan turns to look at the doctor again, down to where he's rubbing an oil based lubricant on his tingling hand. Edwin just keeps rubbing it in, letting it absorb into the deeper muscle tissue, "Just because you don't like Rick, doesn't mean you can't trust me."

Negan releases a sigh, feeling defeated again, "I guess my dumb ass is gonna be here a while. Mine as well trust someone in this shit hole."

"With something like imprisonment being your new life, I'd start sucking up to just about everyone who visits you. Cause it won't be many," the doctor offers truthfully. He wipes his hands clean on a couple of paper towels from in the basket and starts unrolling the new gauze and padding.  
"Well if that's the case, how about I cook you a romantic dinner. My place, same time tomorrow?" Negan teases, just being a jerk to the poor man, "You bring the gauze, I'll bring the gore, and you can suck the whip cream off my busted hand," His dark brows wiggle.

Jenner actually has to keep himself from laughing this time as he starts wrapping between the fingers, "Cute. That's very cute."

"That a yes?" He questions again, leaning over when Jenner refuses to look at him.

He likes that he's got this guy so bashful, blushing like he's honestly getting hit on. Not that Negan really gave a shit if he were gay or not. It was all just another stroke to his ego anyhow. 

It's a few extra minutes of unanswered silence before his hand is done being tended to and tied off, "Look, you're charming, I get it. But I lost my wife in Atlanta..." the doctor starts to lecture before being cut off.

"Yeah? And I lost mine too. We got shit in common, what's your point? You gonna mope around and cry over her for the rest of your life?" Negan snorts, "Grow a pair."

"And do what? Be bisexual or gay because most of the women are already spoken for? No. I think I have a bit more respect for myself then that," Ed scoffs.

"Right. Cause crying over your dead wife and letting your balls turn blue is respecting yourself. Hypocrite," Negan grunts, "Hurry up and cuff me. Buzz kill."

Jenner re-attaches the metal cuff to his arm and sighs, gathering up his notes, keys and other junk before moving to the bedroom door. He stops and looks over to Negan and tells him Goodnight before leaving, the Savior leader alone again with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edwin sits down with friends to vent off some news.   
> After a long talk with Aaron and Jesus, he decides it's time to talk to Negan again.   
> But Negan's sick of being trapped for hours at a time and makes his first break free of confinement!

The small fire crackles as the sun goes down in the distance.  
Edwin has asked to sit with Aaron and Jesus tonight for dinner, but there are other intentions here besides more get-to-know-you conversations. 

When they finish eating their dinner and begin to unwind, Jenner decides it's time to make his move.   
"Can I trust you with a slight issue I'm working on? I've had something on my mind that I've wanted to share," the doctor admits to Aaron with a sigh of released pressure. 

Aaron looks conserned, "Of course you can, Edwin. You can tell me anything you want. You'll always have my trust. So long as it doesn't place anyone else at risk. You KNOW I have to look out for problems on everyone's behalf."

"Of course. I uh.. I just have some troubling feelings I need to sort through. I really don't know how to express myself now that I've lost Candace. I'm not used to being single again. This whole.. flirting thing.. Candace was honestly the one to hit on me first, if that helps make more sense," The doctor chuckles, scratching the side of his nose in embaressment.

Paul, who's been politely quiet until now, nearly spits his food out of his mouth into the fire pit, "FLIRTING?! Someone's finally hitting on you?! Oh thank the lord!"

Aaron jabs him with his elbow to shut up, finding that Paul has a horrible sense of humor when he can use it to tease people.  
"Oh stop it. Ed deserves a chance like anyone else here. You can be such jerk, Paul," Aaron scoffs as he defends his friend, "But really Ed, that's great to hear. Any kind of love going around is bound to be uplifting in this dismal time. Can I ask who this person is? Anyone close?"

There's a minute or two of silence as Jenner looks down at the grass he's sitting on, unsure if he should answer at all. He plucks a few blades, clearing his throat, "You promise not to judge me? Or tell Rick?"

Jesus is nearly on the edge of his seat, waiting to hear this juicy secret, "Ohhhh this is gonna be gooood," he sing-songs excitedly.  
Aaron slaps at him again, giving him an annoyed look, "Rick doesn't need to know. If it's dating problems, I don't see why we should need to share anything with him," he grabs Jesus by the ear and pinches it, clenching his teeth, "RIGHT. ROVIA?!"

"Oww! Yes, I mean no! No. No telling," Aaron lets go of the younger mans ear and smiles again, "Secrets safe with us."

Jenner takes a deep breath, then lets it out, muttering, "It's Negan."

The silence is so thick they can hear other people talking from across the yard. Aaron is at a loss for words still by the time Paul finds his and starts a quiet hissy fit, "Negan?! What the hells the matter with you?! He killed people! He nearly killed Rick!"

The doctor flinches slightly, just keeping his eyes down at his blade of grass as he's taken for a guilt trip, "I'm aware, but I've been spending time with him. Learning about how he got this way. He wasn't always horrible. He's shown weakness like any man. Remorse over Carl's death. I just think we should give him a chance."

"How, exactly?" Aaron steps in, still baffled but trying to think outside the box for Jenner's sake.

"With him in captivity, we might be able to break down what's causing him to become so... violent. I know it's in there. Rick believes it too."  
Ed flicks the grass away and brings his head up, a look of consern on his face that he might not ever find friends that support his theory.

"And you think you could do this? You weren't exactly a psychologist before the outbreak Ed," Aaron expresses carefully, not wanting to insult his friend on purpose, "It's not going to be easy to deal with, and I really don't want to see you get hurt. You understand where we're coming from, right? How did this even start? You said he was hitting on you?"

"I have him as a patient now. I was assigned to him through command since he's got heavy injuries that need to be monitored. Rick wanted me to just.. talk to him. See what I could find. Well.. I found something."

"Ugh, the idea almost makes me wanna hurl," Jesus frowns, looking sick to his stomach, "He's such a creep. How can you even be attracted to someone like him??" He complains, sitting forwards in his chair with his bottled beer in his gloves.

"I have more to think about besides the flirting. Rick's going to be placing him in isolation for god knows how long. Years. Can you imagine the effects of being trapped here? In a cell, with no one but the person who feeds you the scraps?"

"He sorta earned the right to die a long time ago," Jesus quips, "Why Rick let him live is beyond me. So what? We think of him as a pitty party instead and try to teach him not to bite the hand that feeds?"

"If it's possible, yes," Jenner defends, "I want him to trust me."

"I don't like how this feels. The fact that Rick put you up to this is stupid. It's too dangerous," Aaron expresses as he puts his head in his hands to continue thinking.

"I know, and I'm sorry to make you worry like this. I just needed to get it out," The blonde doctor sighs before getting up out of his spot. "I've gotta go do my rounds now before bed. Just think about for now. We get plenty of time," he tells them before shuffling casually back into the museum.

"Jenner, you got a minute?" 

He nearly bumps into Rick once the front door is closed.  
"Just about to do my rounds. What's up?"

"I just finished a meeting between the council, and they all agree to building a cell where Negan can be contained exponentially. It won't be here though. If we end up taking him to Alexandria, will you transfer there? You'd have your own clinic, a possible house if you wanted. The place is starting to rebuild. Lot of potential."

Jenner scratches at the mild 5 o'clock started on his face for the day, "That's quite a lot to consiter. Lot of options. Who else will be coming with us?"

Rick thinks about it, humming, "I haven't approached anyone yet, but Aaron had a house. I may send him back purely because he knows the terrain."

"I was just outside with him and Paul by the fire. Ask them. I don't know how Paul will take living away from Hill Top, but I think Aaron can convince him to go."

They both smile before Rick says, "Let's hope so. Michonne and I will be bringing Judith there. I think Maggie is staying here to run the place, and Daryl.. well.. I think he likes it here a lot more then the fancy suburbs."

"I could understand that," the doctor agrees, "Let me know the outcome with people tomorrow, once you get the word around. I think I'll keep to babysitting Negan if he's expected to recover."

"That'd be great. You work well with him. I couldn't ask for more. I just pray he doesn't turn feral on you one day and try to break for it. Dealing with his reign of crap once was enough," Rick sighs. "Goodnight, doctor."

"Night Rick. Sleep well," Edwin tells him as they part ways.

He quietly works his way down the hall to Negan's room and hesitates on opening the door. No one is posted here tonight, and it feels horribly quiet.   
A bit of sound comes from inside the room, so he lets go of the knob and presses his ear to the door. Scuffing, like someone sliding furnature around inside the room.

He feels a pang of panic, wondering if Negan has broken free of his restraints somehow. He has no gun on him, only his knife, but he takes it out and prays he doesn't have to use it.  
"Please don't make me kill him," he pleads to an unknown source as he starts to turn the knob again. The door is flung open, causing him to stumble forward from his death grip on the handle; right into the person he didn't want to find out of bed.

"Well shit, that made this a lot easier," Negan says, grabbing the doctor by the front of his shirt and yanking him back inside the room.   
There's a bit of a struggle as Edwin swings the knife around, scared for his life. His back hits the closed door behind him rather hard and the air in his lungs suddenly feels heavy. His eyes open after the impact, looking straight ahead into Negan's eyes as he smiles, "Sorry I didn't cook anything like I promised," he holds up his good arm which still has a broken cuff dangling off it, "Thought I'd get some fresh air instead. My ass has been going numb, laying here all day."

Ed takes the moment of opportunity and tries to attack again, shoving Negan off him so he can get another swing in with his blade. It slices just through the layer of cotton t-shirt across Negan's chest as he dodges himself a step back in his bare feet. He looks down, then back up again at the doctor before laughing, "Boy! Aren't you all piss n' vinegar tonight!"

"You see that guy?" Negan asks him, nodding down to where he only managed to drag the dead guard halfway across the room, "He had it coming. Don't start shit with me unless you want me to kill you."

Jenner looks down to the body, knowing very well that if he doesn't stab that guy in the head soon, that he might start getting back up, "You broke his neck?"  
"That's right peaches. Now you gotta choose. You end him... or you fight with me. Which one? Cause I can wait. I dunno about him." 

Jenner looks back and forth in decision, still unsure which is the bigger threat right now. It only takes Negan slowly moving towards him to shift his attention back on him again, "Back off!"  
Negan raises his hands in mock surrender as he keeps coming closer, slowly stepping across the wooden floor. He can tell something isn't right with the doctor by the way he's trembling. Like making the decision to hurt him or kill him isn't the conclusion he wants right now, "Don't tell me you still wanna make a date out of tonight, do you Jenner? Cause I'm all for that romantic candle lit bullshit! Well.. minus the possible zombie trying to fuck things over.."

"Shut up! Stop! Just... stop.. talking," Edwin says while still pointing the knives blade towards him, "How did you even get out?"

"What this? Did you know these beds weren't manufactured to actually hold criminals? Shitty, right? The handcuffs were, but the bed wasn't.. so the combination didn't quite work out," Negan rambles before his smile grows bigger. "Can't contain me, Jenner. Not when I got shit to do still. So if you're gonna kill me," he hushes, nearly walking up againt the knife point, "Then you better do it, before the ol' ankle biter over there gets up to have himself a sample platter."

Jenner keeps his eyes locked on him, but takes far too long to decide, so Negan does it for him. He uses his other hand to create a distraction before grabbing Edwin by the wrist. He wrenches him by the elbow and turns him around in a police hold so his face is pressed up against the door.   
"God damn you, Negan!" The doctor snaps before cringing loudly in pain. 

Negan pries the knife out of his palm and leans in, whispering, "I appreciate your effort, I really do. But stop pretending you got the balls to murder me. You want to fix me? How bout you start by kissing my ass?"

Negan looks over his shoulder while Edwin struggles, hearing the tell tale signs of a walker taking it's first breaths. He sighs, supposing that he'll have to let go of Jenner if that thing gets up off the floor and starts to head towards them; so he tosses Edwin on the bed and stomps over to pin it down with his bare foot before jamming the knife in it's head, "So hard to find good help these days!" He grunts as the knife squelches back out of the fresh brain.

He wipes the knife blade off on the guards shirt and picks up the handgun he was using for guard duty, "Finders keepers."   
He stands back up and turns around to find that the doctor hasn't moved from where he landed on the bed. Negan points the gun at him and motions to get up, "Let's go. Pick up that basket full of medical junk. We're goin' for a little walk."

\------

"In here, move it," Negan whispers from behind him.   
He can feel the gun nudge him in the lower spine as he is guided into the storage closet. Jenner still holds the basket in his hands full of medical supplies as Negan starts to toss in more items, "Don't mind me, just borrowing a few things."

"Why the hell do you need dish soap?" Edwin questions, getting cocky.  
"Cause I'm still coated in gun residue, and I stink, that's why."  
Edwin watches as a bar of soap, shampoo and a few other items get thrown into the basket. His head tilts, squinting as he reads the packages, "You lost me after 'citrus sugar scrub'. Are you.. taking a bath, or escaping the house?"  
Jenner shuts right up when the gun is pointed at his forehead, Negan narrowing his eyes, "Don't.. ruin my mood."  
"I was expecting you to leave, that's all," the doctor whispers, closing his eyes when the gun barrel gets too close to his face.

"Well I'm not. So shut it. I don't feel like having Rick hunt me while I have nowhere to go. No clothes, no bat? I'd rather risk it here with you losers," Negan grumbles as he lowers the gun, "At least I get fed." 

He turns Edwin around by the shoulder and gives him a little push again to start walking, "When this is said and done, you'll be free to go cry in a corner if that's what you want. God knows I'm probably traumatizing you."

Jenner keeps forward as they walk, "I doubt crying will be in my list of things to do, but I'd be pleased if you didn't shoot me to death."

Negan leads him to the large bathroom across the hall from his bedroom.   
He brings him in, closes the door and locks it from inside, "You behave, and I won't need to. I don't ask for much."  
He starts up the water taps on the huge clawfoot antique tub, still holding his aim on Jenner's lower half, "Now come're with that. I'm done smelling like I don't know how to wash myself."  
He dumps dishsoap into the tub as it fills, the bubbles frothing up the sides as more water spills in. Some bath salts go in as well, labled off in a small container as 'Joyce.'  
"Sorry, Joyce. Shit's mine now," Negan snickers as it pours in and he hucks the empty container in a random direction.  
Even a rubber ducky saved for Judith gets thrown in there.

"Fucking rediculous. Stealing from children for the sake of a bath. What was I even thinking," Jenner whispers to himself.

"Have a seat, darlin'. You can rub more of that junk into my hand while I soak," Negan orders, dragging over a small wooden stool.   
Ed sighs and sits down on it, feeling like a total tool. He tries to divert his eyes as Negan starts to peel off his clothes, kicking them into a dry corner of the bathroom.

He turns the taps off and climbs in, sinking down almost to his neck in soap bubbles. He puts the safety on the gun and tosses it, and the knife he stole off Edwin, into the cart wedged between the wall and the tub. It's far enough over that it's out of reach from his kidnapped accomplice, but not too far if he needs it.

The hot water feels like a blessing on his sore back as he slides down another couple inches and kicks his feet up onto the ledge at the other end, ankles crossed, "Damn that feels better."  
He looks over to the doctor sitting next to him on the stool, looking all mopey, "Quit looking like I ruined your day. I didn't escape, you didn't get shot. So knock it off."

"You know I came back here with the intention of apologizing to you? For lying about personal information?" Edwin scoffs.   
When Negan looks at him in confusion he follows through by saying angrily, "Don't think I will now. Fucking back stabber."

Negan smirks, taking a handfull of suds and slapping them onto the side of the doctors face, "Such a spoiled sport. I should drag your dumb ass into the tub and make YOU relax. Maybe ease out whatever stick you've got jammed up your rear end."

Ed wipes his face off on his sleeve, sighing, "I thought about what you said about moving on, but I'd hardly call being with you healthy relationship."

Negan completely dunks himself under the water before comimg back up again and rubbing a hand over his face. He blows a bit of water off his lips and blinks, "What happened to your fear of respecting yourself? You bullshit me?"

"Just a bit," Edwin admits quietly. 

Negan hangs his arm out of the tub, stretching it towards the doctor like he just expects him to tend to it now.   
Jenner just sighs again and starts to unwrap the soggy gauze, "This'll heal faster if you don't get it wet."

"Whatever, don't change the subject. Tell me what you lied about. I wanna hear this straight out the horses mouth. Don't tell me! You experimented in Collage," Negan snorts, taking a flying guess.

"Yeah.. something like that," Edwin mumbles as he strips the hand bare and checks on the stitches he just made the night before.

"Liked it, didn't cha?" Negan questions, holding back on his evil grin.

"I was just a kid still. Maybe 20 or so. My parents hated the idea, so they told me to break it off or my graduation would be jeopardized."

"Shit, that's cold man," Negan stares up the the ceiling while they talk, just letting his body rest and his hand be tended to, "My old man could be a dick like that too. Except he'd break your ribs if he drank enough."

"Child abuse? Jesus Negan, why didn't you just leave?"

"My brother. I had to wait for him to finish highschool before I could take him on my bike and drive us out of there. But by then, the old fuck dropped dead from a heart attack. Karma's a bitch, huh?" Negan smiles, looking over at him.

"Apparently. Still a shame to hear he did that to you. It wasn't fair. What happened to your brother?" Jenner asks as he massages Negan's swollen thumb and fingers. If he could milk the conversation like Rick wanted, that's what he was gonna do.

"Took off into the military once we reached New Jersey. Once he was gone, it was just me for a long time till I moved to Maryland looking for pay.   
Met Lucille while I was coaching a kids baseball and basketball team for the highschool in town," he shifts in the water, folding his good arm under his head like a pillow, resting it along the edge of the tub.  
"Got in shit for cussin' out the kids during playoffs and lost my job. Lucy got cancer, and I got stuck selling cars till the munchers came along. Fucking debt and hospital bills up to my ears... Having the world end actually releived a lot of pressure. Fixed everything but my Lucille."

Edwin feels his empathy for him renew itself again. He wishes Aaron were here to hear all this, just to be a witness of what he meant earlier about Negan's soft side.

"Candace was trying to save a little girl outside the CDC when she got bit. She just wanted to save people. Walker stole her right out if her arms. I brought her under observation so the lab could watch the virus progress. She offered herself to science, yet it feels like we failed her," he hums, "I doubt we'll ever find a cure. I'm just glad Rick came along when he did and convinced me to leave. I would've stayed until the building destroyed itself."

"How the hell does a building destroy itself?" Negan asks him, a scowl drawn on his face.

"Decontamination takes place once the supports go offline. It keeps all the dangerous diseases we had in containment from causing a biohazard. Sets everything on fire hot enough to melt down a car in seconds. I would've stayed. It would've been quick and painless. No more struggling," He calmly explains, thinking back to the last few days before the explosion. 

He chuckles then, Negan wondering why he has the gall to laugh after telling him he just wanted to kill himself, "I should've packed all the junk I could before I left. I never thought it would've gotten this bad," he snorts, "I miss the wine cellar."

Negan cracks a smile then too, "Need to go find a liquor store together and drink it."

Jenner's smile brightens as he nods, laughing outright, "That'd be a good first date. Completely smashed and surrounded by walkers. Go sit on the roof when it gets overwhelmed. Look at the moon and stars and pig out on creamed corn. How's that for dramatic?"

"I'd never let them lay a finger on you," Negan quietly admits, causing Jenner to stumble in his laughter, suddenly confused, "...What?"  
Negan leans further out of the tub and grabs Ed by the shirt, tugging him over for a kiss, "No one would ever hurt you again, if you stuck with me."

Jenner's green eyes look conflicted as he pulls himself free of the grip and lets go of the injured hand, "I.. I don't know yet. I wouldn't leave. Not after everything Rick has done for me."

"Then don't. They aren't gonna let me just get up and leave. Fuck um. Doesn't mean you can't see me. Support Negan in your local zoo," he jokes, "You can keep visiting, and I'll.. well.. I'll be doing the usual. Banging my head against the wall between meals and pacing holes in the floor."

"Suppose it's not that different from how it is now," Ed mumbles.

They both jump, startled as they hear Rick bang on the door to the bathroom, "Doctor Jenner?! Is Negan in there?!"

Ed exhales, calming his heart, "It's fine. He's taking a bath. I've got him." He gets up off the stool and unlocks the door, Rick sticking his head inside to see Negan lounging back in the tub full of bubbles. His nose wrinkles, "Bubble bath?"

Jenner just shrugs, "He wanted to get clean?"

"The guard turned, and there are broken cuffs on the floor. It looked like a struggle. I was worried," Rick says.

"The guard was an idiot. He was bit and didn't tell anyone. He came into my room and started sweating up a storm. Tried to choke me, babbling some dumb shit about a kid named Travis," Negan admits in his defense, "I broke the cuffs. That's my fault. Oh, and I saved your doctor. So I think I earned my damn bath."

Edwin looks baffled. Why didn't Negan mention that the guard was bit? He thought he murdered him for the sake of getting out of here! 

"Still, you're a captive. Why didn't you run? You had a hostage," Rick questions.

"Running out of here and being shot to death before reaching the gate didn't seem appealing," he purrs, snuggling back down into his hot water and poking at the floating ducky with his finger.

"Did you get your answers yet about the transfer?" Edwin asks him at a quieter tone.  
Rick turns his attetion back to the doctor, "Aaron agreed to go. Jesus is sticking with him, and Carol will be coming back too. Maybe 4 or 5 others in a seperate car while we ride in the mobile. How soon can you be ready?" he asks.

"Just need to pack my bags," Jenner looks back to Negan, who's started scrubbing one of his feet with the bar of soap, "What do I do with him?"

"I can watch him while you pack," Rick offers.   
Jenner opens the door a bit more and lets him in, nodding to the cart next to the tubside, "That's my knife. And Jim's gun. No shots fired."  
Rick swipes the gun up off the cart before Negan can slam his hand down on it protectively, "NO weapons for you. Not a chance." He picks the knife up too and offers it back to Jenner while Negan pouts in his bathwater, "We'll leave tomorrow morning. It'll leave us time to unpack once we get there."

"Leaving? Where?" Negan asks, finally catching onto the plan to travel someplace.  
"You're going back to Alexandria, and so are we. The prison's being built there, and you can be put to work outside. So enjoy your bath, you'll be getting a hose there if you try this shit again," Rick threatens him.

"I'll be quick," Ed says then before looking to Negan in the tub. "And I told you, don't get your hand wet," he says before slipping out of the room with a snicker.

Negan just looks at Rick left with him, dunking his injured hand in the water before pulling it back out as a show of disobedience before giving him the finger, "Welcome to the show, cowboy."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol starts to suspect something is amiss during their road trip to Alexandria.   
> A short stop at a gas pump allows people to ger out and have a bit of fun. It dawns on Carol that what excuse Rick gave to her isn't all the info.

The drive is slow and time consuming, but one of the very few times that everyone manages to get some rest in.   
They travel alone, no other cars following behind the van on account of changing plans.

Farmer's fields coat either sides of the road as they pass along in the Winnebago. All the windows remain open to let in the breeze, the sound of zombies hardly even audioble outside as Rick drives past the odd straggler.  
It's almost sad to think that all these places once held limitless amounts of food and crops once upon a time. 

While Rick drives, everyone sleeps. All but Carol, who sits curled up on a center couch with a cooking magazine open.   
Aside from reading, she keeps herself awake so she can watch Negan like a hawk. Even if he tries to rest.  
She glances up from reading every once and a while to look across from her at the other couch. 

Negan sits with his head back as he rests, doctor Jenner using his leg as a pillow so he can stretch himself out and give his back a stretch.  
Carol finds it rather suspecious that he can even get away with doing such a thing without fearing any harm from Negan while he rests... but then again, Rick told her yesterday that he had formed a strange bond with him. One that she might not understand. 

She frumps at the memory, distracting herself again with her reading. Since when wouldn't she understand? She undertood almost everyone here. She'd read into them by watching, then put the pieces together once she had enough evidence. She was like a detective that way, always learning things that could be important later in the game they now called life. That's all she needed to do here. Just keep her eyes peeled, and let them do the rest.

She takes a break again when her eyes start to strain, calling up to Rick at the wheel to ask when they next get to stop for a break.  
"About another 2 miles or so. Should be some pumps there where we first met Paul. You needing a stretch?" He asks her.

"That, and these two are giving me the creeps. Ed's sleeping on his lap, Rick. Who the hell would ever get away with such a thing without having their neck snapped in their sleep?"

Rick looks back at her in his rear view mirror and smirks, "I dunno, but I try not to question it. Jenner's job was to make nice with Negan, so if it's working, don't try to fix it. That's what I say, anyways," Rick jokes with a quiet tone.

"I admit it's rather cute seeing them be nice to each other, but part of me also wouldn't dare let Negan lay a hand on him. Not when he acts out the way he does in his spare time," Carol grumbles, looking farther back in the bus to where Aaron and Jesus are cuddled on the captain's bed together.   
It helps soften her mood a bit, smiling at how nice it must feel for both of them to not be so alone anymore. They were both such good boys...  
Then she looks back to Negan and his scruffy face, "Just can't take him anywhere. What a disaster waiting to happen."

Negan opens his eyes slowly upon hearing his name a few times. It rouses him just enough out of sleep to hear Carol talk about him, so he mutters half awake in his defense, "Correct term is called a 'hot mess'. A disaster fails at what they do," he grins as he rubs his face to refresh himself, "I never failed. Not until someone betrayed me."

"Oh shut up, no one asked your stupid opinion anyways. Go back to sleep," she fusses, turning her icy blue gaze away from him and back into her book.

"Stops coming up," Rick announces to them as he hits a few pot holes on his way into the gas station parking lot.

"Thank god. I don't think I'm ready to start listening to another tale of false heroism," Carol sighs, putting her magazine down so she can check her gun for ammo and get ready for possible walkers once they stop.

The pot holes pretty much wake everyone up at once, Jenner's poor skull double bouncing against the other mans thigh as the bus bounces and wobbles, "Wha..?"  
"Piss break," Negan catches him up when he sees him crack his eyes open.

Michonne is up front in the passenger seat, her eyes wide open after feeling the bang under the bus. It even startles Judith enough that she wakes up on Michonne's lap and starts to cry a bit.  
"Ohhh, it's okay sweetie. That was a big bump! Ohhh, it's okay.. shhh," Michonne tries to coddle her into calming down.   
Rick offers to take her once the mobile is fully parked, holding her against his chest and rocking her lovingly until she calms back down.

Carol is the first off the bus, already aching for something to do, even if it means getting sprayed with zombie guts or blood, "I'll go do a lap around the side. Be right back."

"Break time?" Jesus yawns as he comes out of the back room, stretching with his stomach exposed under his leather vest.

"Yep. Feel free to take a wonder and stretch your legs. We'll be back on the road in about 10 minutes. Just long enough people can take a leak and rub the feeling back into their knees," Rick answers him calmly.

"Huh, I remember this place. Good memories," Paul grins before clanking down the van stairs.   
Rick glares at him from behind as he hops off, still not super fond of the idea of having that entire van full of items sinking into the lake. Oh well.. they did make a friend out of it, he guesses.

Ed shifts and sits up from on Negan's lap and yawns loudly. He turns his neck a few times until it pops and feels normal, "Ugh. Better. Not the greatest chiropractic bed, but thank you," he tells Negan.  
He gets a nod in responce as Negan gives a stretch of his own, "Can we get off this junk heap for a minute? I could use a tree."  
"Sure. I could probably use one too," Jenner tells him as he steps around his legs and down the steps of the bus. 

It's a bit warm, but the air flow feels good once they're outside again. Not nearly so confined.  
Negan comes out after him and takes a deep breath of fresh air in, just happy to be out of the cramped space surrounded with people.  
They can see Carol finishing off the last walkers near the truck stop, knifing it in the head before she goes to check the main building's doors.

"Let's just stay close for now so we can hear calls," Edwin says before leading Negan by his handcuff chain to a patch of trees on the right side of the trailor.  
They step through the underbrush and take a tree each, dropping zippers and watering the weeds.   
"You think Alexandria will be any better then that dust ball back at Hill Top? Last time I checked, the place wasn't looking too hot," Negan brings up as he pees.  
"Rick wanted to come back to help work on it again, so it must be progressing. Big engineering plans in the future. The houses were comfortable too, until you had the Saviors cart all the beds away," he accuses. "I'm hoping that, and the trading issues have been resolved by now," Ed continues.

He finishes after Negan does, turning back to find him toeing at something on the ground with his boot, "You worried about the walls coming down again?"  
"Not really," Negan grumbles to himself, digging until he frees the shiny item from the compacted mud. 

He bends down to pick it up with cuffed hands, dusting the dirt off it.   
"What is that? A key chain?" Jenner wonders, taking it from him when it's offered.  
"Multi tool. Someone probably whined about losing that. That's gold right there," Negan says taking it back and unfolding it so he can show Edwin all the things inside it's folding case.  
"Like a swiss army knife I guess. Cool. Good find."  
"Take it for me. Rick finds that in my pocket, he'll probably bitch till the sun goes down," Negan says, putting it back into Jenner's hands.   
The doctor tucks it away, agreeing that it wouldn't end well if Rick saw him messing with such a thing. He stuffs it in his back pocket and starts to step back out of the brush, Negan following him out, "You know something? I don't think I've ever learned your real name. You have everyone call you Negan all the time. It sounds too much like a title then it does a first name."

Negan sighs. He knew this would surface one day and bite him in the ass, he just didn't expect it to be now, "Does it really matter? As long as you can call me by something, who cares what it is?"

Ed is about to complain about getting to know him when he sees a corpse shuffle out from behind the trees where they just came from, "Must've got up from somewhere when we went in. Here, I'll get him.."  
He's about to go after it when Negan steps in the way and stops him, "I'm going to be behind bars soon. Let me have a little fun first."   
When Jenner shrugs and lets go of his cuffs, he goes for a piece of rusted pipe on the ground and approaches the zombie with a big smile on his face, "Hey handsome. I stole yer toy. Gave it to my girlfriend over there. Hope you don't mind."   
The walker obviously doesn't communicate or understand anymore, so it continues towards him as the closest target and extends it's arms out, reaching with a growl.  
"You like baseball, Jenner?" Negan calls behind him. Setting up like he's at home base, ready to swing. "Cause this asshole is about get a free trip to the stands!" 

He swings a hard follow through, the zombies head coming clean off the spinal collumn and flying out on top of the convience store, "...Gooooal!"  
He drops the pipe, raising his hands cuffed together in victory.

Jenner looks shocked, but starts to clap for him because it WAS a pretty good swing.  
"Nice shot," he congratulates with a laugh as the rest of the zombie body falls over with a thump.

"Huh, that was pretty good," Carol adds in, Jenner not even noticing that she was there until she spoke up.  
Negan does his best rolling bow to his two man crowd before standing up and dusting his hands off, "Anything left in the shop? I could go for some moldy candy or a hot can of Coke if you found some."

"No such luck there, I'm afraid. I did however," she pulls a Yankies ball cap out of her bag. It's brand new, a little dusty from being inside, but never been worn, "Find Ed here, a new hat." She steps over to him, and playfully sticks it in his hands.

"Oh my god! New York too! What luck!" Jenner exclaims, dusting it off with a hard shake before putting it on his head and adjusting the strap at the back.

"Thought you were from Atlanta?" Negan questions, looking at the hat getting duck billed and bent by the doctor.  
"No, no. I grew up in New York. I told the group about it after we left the CDC. Spent almost my whole life there until the CDC put out a request for interns. That's so thoughtful. I didn't think you'd remembered after all this time, Carol."

"Oh, I remember. I also remembered how you got heat stroke and burnt at the farm, not covering up that pale face of yours," she teases him, sounding yet again like the mother hen of the squad.

"Him? Burnt? With that pastey complextion and coating of freckles? I don't believe you!" Negan snickers as he looks at Edwin.   
"Yeah, exactly," Ed grumbles, nuch too aware of his skins sensitivity "Anyway, lets get going. It's probably time to get back on the bus."

Carol walks ahead by a little bit, but they all get there together, stepping back up the stairs to see Rick still in his drivers seat with Judith on his lap, "Everyone back in?" He checks, doing a head count.

Aaron and Paul are already there, sitting at the kitchen table and going through what rations they packed for the trip.  
"Presently forking up lunch, just give us a few minutes," Jesus says as Rick counts.  
"Good, lets back to it then," Rick says as he hands the baby back off to Michonne and starts the motor home back up.

\-----

A few hours later they can see the gates of Alexandria coming into view. They can also see an unfinished wooden structure from inside the compound, standing taller then the walls themselves.   
Rick leans against the steering wheel to look at it and smiles, "Wow.. would you look at that!"

Everyone comes up to the front to have a look as they wait for the front gates to be pulled open.  
"Amazing. It must be the windmill Maggie found inside the book. It's so.. weird to see it up close," Aaron says as he looks at Paul next to him.  
"Whoa.. that's a lot bigger then I expected," Jesus adds, just stunned to see something being built that was probably taller then the watch posts back at Hill Top.

"Great," Jenner mutters, the only person not sounding too excited to see the mill being built, "More hammer and nail injuries for me. I'm thrilled."  
Carol actually laughs at him a bit, "Aww, but people will love you here. You don't want to waste ALL your free time mucking about with HIM, do you Ed?" She asks, looking to Negan who doesn't bother to get up and look at the windmill. He just waits, looking rejected and worried about his new cell to live in.  
Ed just hints at a smile, going back over to sit beside him and be protective, "Maybe I do? I don't know yet. I think I'd like to get him outside a bit more instead of cooped up in a cage constantly."

"He's not a pet, Edwin," Carol criticizes.  
"No, but he'd make a good guard dog," Jenner grins, nudging Negan with his elbow, "Just gotta heal that neck before I make him a big leather collar with spikes on it. I can post him up outside the clinic with a sign that reads, 'Don't touch. Will ruin your day.' " He jokes, motioning the caption with his hands out.

Negan just looks over to him, a brow raised, "I think you're imagining this too hard, princess."  
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," Jenner boasts, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Hey Ed, if you need a place to stay until you get situated, you're welcome to come to my place," Aaron says, jumping in.  
The thought is rather nice, but Jenner is almost sure Aaron doesn't want Negan sleeping under his roof, so he politely passes, "I think I'll be fine in the clinic for now. I had my fair share of nights there already before. Kinda miss that old couch."

Rick starts to shoo everyone out of the bus while the keep talking, "The jail cell isn't fully built yet, so wherever you decide to go, you'll be taking Negan with you. Just find some water pipes and chain him to it. It won't kill him for a day or two."

"Won't kill him? Have you ever slept chained to a pipe before, Grimes? Cause it's not a five star fucking hotel!" Negan complains loudly as he's lead off the bus.  
Jenner hikes his duffle bag up on his shoulder again as he waits for Negan to hurry up, "Oh stop, I won't leave you locked to a dirty urinal pipe if that's what you're thinking. Come on, I got heavy books in this bag."

"I guess I'll come see you tomorrow then," Aaron calls to Ed with a wave before starting to walk back towards his old house.  
"Carol, you're welcome to use the couch at our place as well until you figure yourself out," Rick offers.  
"Thank you. I think I'll do that," she agrees, not minding the place she slept previously while here with Rick at the beginning.  
"Won't be a fridge or stove in the clinic, so come by once you're comfortable and have dinner with us, okay? Think I'll take Negan's idea tonight and make a batch of spaghetti for us all," Rick says to the doctor and his new pet.

"Sounds good. You heard the man, off you go," Edwin says as he gives Negan a little push with his duffle bag.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some private discussion before dinner. Jesus saves the day.

It's uneventful as Jenner drops his bags off inside the clinic's office.  
It's almost exactly how he left it months ago before going to Hill Top.   
It has a few new potted plants which he approves of; A nice big aloe vera stretching it's limbs towards the window area makes a nice addition of green against all the white and grey.  
"Huh, guess my suggestion for a botanical kinda took shape," Ed says as he sniffs at the basil and dill growing beside it in little half cut water bottles.

"Only one couch in here. Where should I crash?" Negan asks as he wonders around the office. He looks at the books on the shelves, even if he's not really all that interested in learning about medicines.

"Well the couch actually pulls out, so it should be fine. Unless... you'd rather not sleep near me. I can always get a cot," Jenner offers, not sure if he should attempt that just yet.

Negan looks him over and ditches the book shelf in favor of coming over to tease him, "I could say the same to you. You're not afraid to lay next me? Big scary Negan?"

Jenner shrugs, "As long as you don't force yourself on me.." he starts, only to be cut off by Negan, "Don't. Don't say that crap. I would never rape you. Or anyone else. That shit doesn't fly with me," he says looking halfway between disgusted and bored.

The doctor smiles, "Then I'm not afraid. I know you'd never kill me, you've already proven that before with a gun to my head. I want you to be relaxed. Be free, before you get placed in that cell. Call it whatever you want, I just know it'll never be the same once you're in there."   
He steps up close to him, taking out the handcuff keys and unlocking Negan's wrists one at a time, "I can't offer much besides that," he sighs.

"Sleeping next to you with no cuffs? How many bricks do I need me to shit to make you a new house?" Negan laughs leaning over to kiss the doctor politely on a lifted hand, "Cause YOU are a sack of sugar, my dear."

He decides not to rush this too much. If he comes on too strong, it might ruin his chances before it gets too far.

"I'd be careful then. Too much sugar and you could end up diabetic," Ed jokes, stepping around Negan to get to the couch with a slight smirk on his face.

He pulls on a large fabric loop in the front cushion and the whole thing unfolds and pulls out into a double, "God bless Ikea, right?"  
Negan shrugs, "Color me impressed. Never did like wasting space."

A hatch under one of the ottomans holds a stack of sheets, while a second contains a comforter, "Help me with these?" Jenner requests from him.

Negan takes a side and pulls the sheets on with him, fixing up the couch until all it needs is a couple pillows. He lays on it, giving it a personal test run, "Little stiff, but I ain't about to bitch. It's better feeling then a cement floor."

Jenner's got a little pantry-type closet next to the office desk where he'll be stuck doing any paper work from now on. He opens it and finds the pillows he was looking for, "Definetly better then the floor of the cargo van I was in a week ago," he grunts quietly while pulling them down.

He tosses a couple onto Negan's lap and the other two haphazardly into his own spot before laying down next to the other man. He stretches his arms above his head, his   
t-shirt showing his belly, "Hmm. To think, this might be home for a while. Didn't think I'd be back to laying on this old thing after we left."  
He looks over to Negan, "Think you could handle normality? Not arguing or fighting with Rick anymore? Cause I'd fight for you to stay here, if that's what you really wanted. You could stay with me. Help me run the place. Or not.. I mean, there's a lot of jobs around to be done. I doubt you'll be handed a gun anytime soon, but I'd be impressed if you could help out somewhere."

"I thought they told you I wasn't a pet, Dolittle," Negan snorts, toeing his motorcycle boots off so he can flex his toes.  
"I'm barely healed and you're talking about moving in together? Talk about high hopes."  
"You'd rather me not hope? I thought our talk we had was serious. I like you. Maybe.. even more then like you."

When Negan looks at him, a crooked smile appears on his face, "Are you hitting on me doctor?"

Ed chuckles, rolling onto his side to face him, "Maybe. Think you can keep it in your pants until after dinner?"

Negan laughs, amused that Edwin is acting this way now that no one is around, "I was wondering if you were faking interest or not. Always acting like you just wanna play nice with me. Shit, man. You're sure sounding interested now."

"I prefer not to share my personal life with too many people. It's a side of me that not many will understand," Jenner grins, "Sort of like how you can be, when you get to be around Judith. Almost a normal guy. Real Dad and husband material."

Negan is eyeing him carefully now, not sure just what he means by that. 

"I like that side of you. Compassionate, protective, loyal. You'd make a very attractive romantic, if it weren't for your drive to kill people who offend you," Edwin says to him honestly.

"It happened so my people could stay alive. That, and I hate liars and weasles who cut corners and sneak behind your back. Like that stupid little bastard trying to get me to kill Rick. Spencer, I think his name was? World's better off without him to cause shit when you're not looking. God knows I had enough of um in Sanctuary."

"And Glenn?" Ed brings up once more.

Negan sighs, not liking to hear about his mistake yet again, "Your redneck friend stepped out of line and got his buddy killed. That's all I'm saying about that." 

But it still came down to him doing the killing. Him taking Lucille and busting heads until nothing was left. He knows that.

"I'm not apologizing for that. Or the friggin red haired army douche. If the time comes that I have to apologize to the widdow face to face, then I will. But for now, what's done is done. I can't take that shit back," he mumbles, folding his forearm over his eyes and head so the light is blocked out.

"Remorse and guilt leads the way to forgiveness, y'know. If you don't want to care, no one will lift a finger to give you the same chance. It's just a balancing game," the doctor explains before sitting up and leaning closer to him. 

Negan can feel where Jenner has placed his hand onto the matress, the weight making it dip in next to his shoulder.   
It's quiet, and then he feels lips against his, kissing him gently. He slides his arm away from his face and keeps his eyes closed as he starts kissing back. It feels good to get the attention again, like he got in the bath when they were alone. It forces a small groan out of him as he grabs the doctor by his shoulders and rolls him onto his back.

Negan is on top of him, breaking the kiss so he can pant and look down at him with a lusty haze in his eyes, "Why are you doing this to me? What do you think you'll even get out of this? I have nothing left," he asks, his expression twisted.

"A partner. One I can rely on," Edwin says back, not minding being rough this time around. "Isn't that what you've waited for? Since losing her? Someone who loves you for being yourself? I want to give that to you again."

"Not right now, you won't," he hears another voice casually say from the open bedroom doorway, "Because it's dinner, and I'm not cool with seeing you pinning him like that. So cool your dick and come have some spaghetti."   
Jesus is standing there with his gun aimed at Negan's head, not 20 feet away. 

"God damn it. Not again," Negan mutters, shaking his head, "Can't you people learn to fucking knock?"

The doctor under him blushes as he looks at his rescuer, "It's um.. it's alright, Paul. You can lower your weapon."   
He sighs as Negan gets up off him, hands raised in submission before he gets himself shot at by mistake or impulse.

Jesus lowers his gun after he's off Jenner, and holsters it. He's looking at Edwin as he sits up on the bed and busies himself with fixing his messy hair, "I can only take what you say at face value. I haven't seen him like this before.. never mind doing it to you. I don't want him to hurt you, Ed."

"I know. I don't expect you to understand right away," Jenner says nervously before he lays his hand on Negan's back, telling him he can relax. He stands up next to him, willing to defend him from Paul if it comes to that, "After all that happened, he's looking like a giant target. Just don't get too trigger happy. I still need him."

"What's with all the easy freedom? I thought he was a prisoner? No handcuffs? Rick would flip his shit." 

"He might be a prisoner, just.. not around me. Rick is aware that I've done it before, he just doesn't understand why yet," Ed explains to him.

"Do... I get to hear why? Or?"

"Because he's in love with me," Negan bluntly states, sick of being out of the conversation. He looks to the doctor after, seeing him clam up in shock. It's not exactly the words he would've chosen, but he supposes it's true.

"Seriously? He's not saying that to cover for himself, is he?" Jesus huffs, paranoid that Jenner's confession by the fireside was a mistake.

"No, I meant what I said before to you and Aaron. I just needed time to figure it out more. But it's true," he takes Negan's hand in his and shyly makes eye contact with him, "I think... I like him a lot more then I probably should be. But that's a risk I'm willing to take if it means I can get his life back."

Negan looks so confused. Like he wants to believe him, yet he wonders if this is all just a giant pitty fuck to get him to behave well. 

"Steep risk, but no one can stop you I guess. Just tread carefully. He's a walking duck in a town filled with hunters, know what I mean? Don't let anyone have the chance to take a cheap shot if you can help it," Paul shrugs. He nods to the side, trying to get them to come along now, "Let's go eat. Everyone's waiting for us. I've been hungry since we got here."

Edwin picks the cuffs up off the floor, looking at them in his hands before looking to Negan, "Just a little longer, okay? I'll take them off when we come back. It'll keep them calmer so we can discuss keeping you out of that cage."

"I trust you know what you're doing," Negan tells him quietly, trying not to come across as weak in front of the other guy he doesn't know much about.

"I won't disapoint you. This has both of us in mind," Ed whispers back, touching his face gently and stroking his scruff with his thumb, "Play nice, and I'll give you desert later."

Negan smiles big at that, gladly holding his wrists out to be re-shackled, "Yes ma'am!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A discussion at dinner brings about a debate.   
> Negan offers to break Rick and Alexandria a deal, if it means he can be free. But not everone is happy with the idea.

The handcuffs click into place and they start their walk towards Rick's large wooden porch. They can see Carol outside on the bench swing, having a cigarette, tendrils of tobacco smoke leading up off the lit end in the dark.

"It's about time. You boys hungry?" She asks as they come up the steps.  
"I'm beyond hungry. I had to sit there and smell it while you cooked!" Jesus whines.  
Jenner smiles, "Yes. It's definetly time to eat. I've got some news I need to discuss with everyone too, so I hope you'll excuse my odd behavior today on the way here."

He holds the door open for Negan and Carol as they step inside, Paul in a hurry ahead of them to get in.  
"Your behavior? I hardly noticed," Carol jokes with a flat tone.  
"Yeah, well, there's a lot more to it then you suspect. You'll have to wait and see, like everyone else."

 

When they enter the dining room, Rick is already dishing up portions to be passed around. Michonne is holding Judith on her lap, feeding her bits of undressed noodles, and Jesus is making his way over to sit next to Aaron.  
"Welcome. Take a seat," Rick says with a half smile.

Negan sits down at the opposite end, Jenner taking the middle and Carol taking the end closest to Rick. A plate comes around to the doctor and he sets it down in front of Negan before taking the next one, "Smells awesome. Thanks for this, by the way."  
Negan picks up his napkin and shakes it open awkwardly before tucking it into his white t-shirt, "Carl loved my cooking. Seeing the stuff reminds me of him."

"I'd let you take a shot at cooking for us, but we're not that far yet. Having you here is a good first step though. To have you be willing to sit down with us in a neutral setting can clear a lot up between us, Negan. It's all about patience, and helping each other out now..." Rick explains before the doctor speaks up.

"...Which actually brings me straight into a topic I wanted to discuss tonight," Jenner says between his first fork fulls of food.

"Can it wait? I think people just want to put business aside for a while. Just long enough that we can eat in peace," Michonne asks.

"Oh. Yes, of course. Sorry. I didn't mean to impose.."  
"Here," Carol stops him before he feels guilty. She pours him a glass of red wine, "Not nearly CDC quality, but if it'll get you to stop apologizing like a Canadian..."

Negan snickers, mumbling between eating, "He is too polite sometimes."

"Excuse you both. You don't want to see me rude OR angry," Jenner supplies while drinking half his first glass down. He misses all the wine he had back in Atlanta, so the warm fuzzys return when he's supplied with more and continues to drink.

"I'm pretty sure The Governor agrees with you there," Rick grins.  
Negan looks confused, looking from Rick to the doctor and back.  
"Doctor Jenner here showed us some nice chemestry tricks before Eugine was even friends with us. Blew a weapons stash sky high with a little drain-o and some bleach," Carol smiles happily, thinking of all the destruction.

"Damn. I could've used that brainy noodle instead of haulin' Eugine around with his stupid pickle jar," Negan sulks. "He did make some decent adjustments to Sanctuary though. Place runs a little better and the hot water doesn't crap out after 15 minutes."

"Good for us then," Rick agrees.

"Whatever. I just wish I could have my things back from my room. Could've fashioned myself a decent bargain instead of sitting in a jail cell soon," Negan scoffs.

Rick looks to Jenner, wondering if this was the topic he had wanted to bring up, but Edwin shrugs and doesn't look like he knows what Negan's going on about.

"I'd be willing to listen now that I've had a chance to eat something. What kind of deal are you trying to strike? Because we own everything you have now, Negan. If it's something in Sanctuary, I doubt it's something we don't know about by now."

Negan finishes his food, tugging his napkin out of his shirt so he can wipe his mouth and slouch back in his chair. He was comfortable breaking deals after a good meal, so this was perfect for him, "Well.. what I'm offering isn't even on the property, so you don't have shit, for starters. What I want for it, is my freedom. No more cell."

"Nothing is worth that much," Michonne scoffs at him, instantly unimpressed that he'd even try it.

"I wouldn't be so quick to assume. I got some toys tucked away that pales in comparison to what we have at Sanctuary. You wanna rebuild this shit hole, don't you?" Negan asks Rick, as he reaches under the table in his handcuffs and feels his fingers over Jenner's closest hand, "I got something I want to re-build too. My sanity. The shit Jenner here has been rooting through the past 4 days. When does he get rewarded for the crap he's done?"

"Doctor Jenner will get a chance at a house when one becomes open in the future, so lets get back to focusing on what you've got. Are we talking building supplies then? Beyond what we found at the quarry?" Rick questions.

"That, and then some. So lets talk about my freedom first, or you don't get shit."

Rick sighs, "Your freedom is limited. It's not exactly 100% up to me. It's up to the council members, and all the people you hurt. Like Maggie, Rosita and Tara. This is about justice for them."

"Then ask them to stop whining about it and help their community. They want to be safe? I got enough cement to build you a better wall then the p.o.s outside. Build that sucker up, and walkers won't stand a chance. You want it to improve here, don't you? Cause it's why I wanted to take the place from you. All this self sustainable development is a walkin' gold mine if you just know what you're doing," Negan boasts. 

Everyone looks at him, gears clearly turning in their heads. When they look at Rick, he knows what they're thinking. It feels so tempting to take the deal, yet no one in their right mind wants him to walk free either.

Jenner downs the rest of his wine and starts pouring another glass full, not able to fathom this right now.   
He chooses to mentally escape and just let them bicker it out, but Carol has other plans for him, "You know what? Let's pause this for half a minute and hear what it is Ed has to say. I get the feeling all this crap is in the same pool with how chummy these two have been getting along," she says.

Edwin shies away, looking down at where Negan is still stroking his knuckles under the table, "I uh.. was just wanting to talk about the jail situation too. About what it would take to convince people that I could be capable of rehabilitating him into society."

"You've shown me a lot of good behavior from him so far, but I still don't trust him. Not so soon. What do you have to warrent he'll stay this way and not harm somebody out of thin air? Cause that's the risk we're looking at," Rick explains, "I can't have him growing grudges against his Saviors and killing people when he gets out of control."

"I don't, really.. I..." he stumbles trying to think of reasons. All the answers coming back to him, simply require him trusting Negan out of mutual respect.   
When he looks to him, Negan nods and asks, "Tell them. You wanted me to be honest, now it's your turn."

He agrees, turning his eyes back up to his team mates,"This is... mainly about how I've been treating him. It's about trust, and building a friendship that revolves around both of us losing our wives. Having things in common. Just... being us," Jenner admits to anyone who's listening. 

He looks to Carol, giving her a sympathetic expression, "The book you kept from Atlanta about children recovering from abuse? I think that needs to be applied here. I know you. I know that you can understand him better if you just think about what he's been through."

Carol leans back in her seat to look around Ed at the big guy next to him, narrowing her eyes in analysis.   
She took that book in hopes of understanding Daryl Dixon of all people, but she can see how it might also apply to Negan as well.  
All his authority problems, issues with immaturity, killing due to a short temper? It was the ultimate example of mixed abuse, aged past 40 years of late help. 

She looks to Rick, nodding, "He does fit the check list pretty well. How you fix someone with his problems after it's been this long though, is touch and go. Daryl wouldn't let me help him for days after I brought up his past with Merle."

"Which is why he asked me to," Jenner speaks out. "I wasn't a psychologist before this, Aaron already lectured me about that. But I have something none of you are willing to give him. Affection. And I think it's already started to make a difference."

"Affection? How about a free place to live and an easy doctor to manipulate?" Michonne snarls, still defensive about the idea of Negan being free. "I hate to be the one to say 'I told you so' while digging you a fresh grave, Jenner. I really do. But I don't put it past him to slit your throat in your sleep. Not when it could mean he could book it out of here and past the gates into the wild blue yonder."

"EASY?! Then I have a rude awakening for you!" Edwin raises hos voice as he starts to get upset, "Because I'm not with him to be an easy target. I'm with him because we WANT to be together. He's got more guts then I've ever wanted in a partner and friend, and I'm sure as hell not about to watch you kick him back down again with continous insults! I'll love him if I choose too!" He roars.

"Hot damn, he bites!" Negan cheers with a big smile on his face.

Carol's eyes roll at the news as she nurses her drink, "I hate it when I'm right."

"He just wants to make you his bitch like he did with all the other women he had before you showed up to flatter him! And now that he's a pitty show, you're willing to risk your neck?!" Michonne argues at Edwin, "Do you know how many wives he had, Ed?! Seven! That's a stupid amount that proves he just wanted objects he could manipulate!"

Jenner yanks his hand free from where he was holding Negan's and uses it to push his chair out from the table, "This conversation is over if you think you can tell me what to do with my life!"

"Whoa now, let's calm down a touch," Rick says as Judith starts to fuss and cry from the yelling in the room. "Michonne, just stop please. He obviously knows what he wants. If we can't convince him, then we need to support him before we lose him on our side."

When Ed straightens his shirt, he grabs his wine glass and chugs the rest of it down, now grumpy and embaressed. He chooses to stay standing instead of sitting back down, "Can we please discuss something else now? Like this deal you've started?"

"I think whatever's going on between you two is clearly none of our business now that we know the gist of it all. As for the deal, we gotta flesh out some terms and regulations," Rick states. 

"We're not handing you any weapons, so forget accessing the armory, even in an emergency. When I feel comfortable enough to do so, I'll give you back Lucille. Not before," Rick calmly states. "Like anyone else who lives here, I expect you to pull your weight. If it means helping out somewhere in town, helping Jenner at the clinic or doing gardening, then do it. It's the price everyone pays to live here. Even Ed."

Negan listens, then shrugs, "If it means I can see the damn sun everyday, I'll take it. Just remember that I'm not a fucking punching bag for your people to take their shit out on, once I'm out there."

"Then tell us what else in included with your cement offer," Rick says, itching to know what else Negan has squirreled away.

"Enough powdered cement to build you a damn wall to replace this one. It'll take time, but I've got mortors back at Sanctuary to get it started faster. 

My room had sets of keys for off property vehicles, including Betty, my dump truck down on i-16. She's got gas in her, and the site she's on has the cement locked up inside a containment building loaded with other shit to get this place pimped till next Tuesday. 

Bricks, wire fence, ban saws, tools.. We wanted to use it all until Sanctuary could take care of herself, but the fences and goofs we got chained up have been doing a damn fine job already. Why waste cement and man power when we have a food crisis to deal with first?"

"Point taken. Which is why you robbed us, Hill Top and the Kingdom?" Rick asks.

"With half your food stores, we had enough to finally go around the amount of people we had. Now look at um. Back to square one," Negan scoffs.

"We'll get Sanctuary started with their own gardens and a team, building flower beds if the ground won't take there. Don't worry about them. Maggie's family owned a farm for years in Atlanta. She knows how to handle that much," Rick reassures.

"Then with that said, I think I need to go lay down and let my brain rest. This has been enough stress for me for one day. We can talk about the rest tomorrow, Rick," Jenner sighs as he starts to regather himself.

Negan gets up out of his seat and follows him, calling back to Grimes, "You won't find those keys without me. So decide when you'll be making the trip to my neck of the woods and I'll be along for the ride."

"Will do. Get some sleep," Rick wishes to both of them before they head out the door.

"Not what I expected. Could've gotten a lot worse, but it's a starting point," Carol says then. "That wall is a priority. Keeping him in line will be tricky, but I'll help wherever you need me Rick."

"Same here," Aaron says in support.

"God. I just feel like some of this is my fault. For having Jenner look into him in the first place," Rick grumbles as he runs a hand through his hair.

"I beg to differ. From my private conversation with Ed the other night, having Negan focused on him might very well change the outcome of this in a big way, Rick. If he cares about Edwin, he'll protect him. Thus, protecting all of us as long as we keep Ed on our side," Aaron shrugs, trying to make light of things. "Jenner knows what he's doing."

Rick hums, picturing Negan walking around Alexandria like a ticking time bomb, "...I hope you're right."


	7. Chapter 7

Once they set foot outside of Rick's house, Jenner turns to Negan and immediately takes his set of keys out. He unlocks his wrists for what will hopefully be the last time, "I think I'm just about through with Michonne and her opinions of you. I'm sorry if I over reacted in there."

Negan takes the cuffs once they're off and throws them at Rick's front door, the metal noisy as it skips across the wood porch and lands next to a planter.  
"Don't think I wasn't impressed. You chewed her out good. I'm actually rather flattered," Negan smiles as he reaches to take Jenner's hand with his bandaged one.  
"I think I'm actually pretty proud of you for sticking to your beliefs. It's not easy telling jerks you've stuck around with for so long that they're full of shit, is it?"

Edwin strolls slowly down the street with him, just looking up at the guards by the gate before turning his eyes to the night sky, "They're just too fixated on believing you'd kill them. It's stupid," He sighs, multitasking his conversation with mapping the stars, "This place gets to you after a while. Ruins your morals. Too much paranoia. I hope that decreases now that there's no war going on."

Negan wonders if Jenner is aware of how close to home he's hitting, "If I asked you to do something stupid, but fun, would you? For the sake of happiness?"

"What do you mean?" The doctor asks, flicking a glance to him.

"Marry me. Just to watch them lose their shit," Negan says without a hint of worry or resistance.  
Jenner stops walking, tugging Negan like dead weight when he goes to far ahead, "...Why? Why would you do that for the sake of just bothering them?"

"Because talk is cheap, doc. I want to prove how stupid the old rules of the world are by taking your hand, sticking a ring on it and calling you mine. Cause I dunno about you, but no one fucked with MY wives... figuratively AND literally," Negan says proudly, "If someone rubs you the wrong way, I'll be right there behind you to drop kick the bugger right in the baby maker. Know what I mean Jelly Bean?"

"What if I say no?" Jenner contests with a wicked smile.

Negan backs him up against the clinic's front door and locks eyes with him, "Then I might have to convince you some other way, then won't I?"  
Negan plucks the keys out of Ed's hand and unlocks the door for him, leading him inside where they can have some privacy.

They lock the door for the night and hang the keys up on the hook next to the door frame. Both are looking each other over a few times in the low lighting, clearly ready to pounce if a move is made.  
"I think I might need you to let me give you a.. uh.. a thorough exam," Jenner whispers, his deep tone making Negan's hairs tingle up his arms.

"The kind where I need to be stark ass naked first?" 

Jenner nods slowly, leading him by hooking his fingers into Negan's pockets and walking backwards towards the office, "Definetly needs the clothes off. Just to make sure I don't miss anything..."

Negan smiles, peeling his shirt off over his head as they walk, "Doctor's orders. Can't refuse that."

He's starting to get his pants undone when they reach the bathroom, Edwin turning to face him as he starts to also shed clothes.  
His short sleeved shirt is dropped on the floor, a hand drunkenly moving down to grope the errection outlined through his pants, "It's been a while. I wanna make this count. Keep going," he instructs Negan while he unzips his grey jeans and starts to shimmy out of them.

"Little wine me, dine me, hey? I'll be sure to liquor you up something nice next time, if this is my reward," Negan says with a smart ass smile. 

He hooks his thumbs into his boxers and teases the doctor by turning his profile sideways towards him. The fabric comes down slow, Jenner's green eyes growing dark with lust as Negan toys with him. The hard on Negan has been hiding evetually springs free and hits him in the stomach.   
He steps out of his motor cycle boots, jeans and boxers, shoving them aside with his foot as he gives the stiffy a nice pet, "Yeeeah, there's a good boy."

Edwin grips himself through the layers he's still got on, chewing his bottom lip. He then makes the conscious decision that whatever clothes he's still got on, need to come off, "I should've done this sooner."

Negan offers a hand to him when he nearly trips over his own pant leg, chuckle-snorting as Edwin clings to his arm before nearly crawling up his front.  
They stand there, fully nude and against each other as the doctor tries to catch his breath and calm back down.  
"You are beyond fucking adorable," Negan tells him, "Adorable, with one hell of a set of shoulders. Damn, man," He gives Jenner's upper arms and muscle around his neck a squeeze, admiring.

"Racquet ball. Twice a week," Edwin admits quietly before looking down between them and giving his stomach a poke, "Nearly 70lbs lost last year, living off salad and low carbs. Yet I still can't get rid of this stupid thing."

Negan laughs again, pushing his hands away from his belly as he continues to mock himself. He grabs the bit of love handle left off Ed's hip and purrs, "Don't worry about that. You'll lose it runnin' from walkers and surviving without so much meat. THESE I like.."  
Negan grinds his hips against his as he continues to roam his good hand around to his backside and give it a squeeze, "More cushion for the pushin'. Mmm!"   
"Better liked then disliked, I suppose," Edwin says back in modesty.  
"I ain't gonna lie; once I get you in that shower, and maybe after as well, I'm gonna be all over you. Probably touchin' places you didn't even know you had. You gonna be alright with that?" Negan politely checks with him, trying to be a gentleman.

Ed nods, pulling him towards the shower stall with a shy smile, "I think I can handle that. Just don't try to break me please. I'd like to be able to walk tomorrow and do my job if need be."

He turns the taps on and waits for the water to heat itself up before stepping inside. Negan follows, closing the glass door once he's in. It's a little short on space, but they don't seem to mind as they cuddle together under the showers stream and begin to melt to the feeling of hot water on aching muscles.  
The doctor slicks his blonde hair back once it's soaked down and lets out a deep sigh of relaxation.  
Negan leaves his to plaster to his skull, the hair too short to cause much trouble. He grabs the soap off the tray and lathers up his hands. The smell is neutral, the froth lubing up his hands so he can begin messaging at the speckled shoulders of the man in front of him. Jenner just closes his eyes and fades his worries away into nothing. It feels good having such strong fingers rub at his neck like this.  
"Hmmmm, that feels nice," he sighs, "could've took the bandages off first."

"Little water won't kill it. Just think of it like a soft fuzzy sponge rubbing up your spine," Negan tells him as he continues to wash and rub the stress away out of Ed's neck.   
He thinks about the few women he's been with who were natural red heads. How they similarily had their backs littered in freckles, from top to bottom. There's so much more skin to touch and run his hands over then a woman, that he starts to remember why he swang both ways.  
He didn't have to be as gentle, or coddle Ed, but it was still nice to do so.   
But all these different shapes, the form on a guys body, being permitted to get so intimate with the other male.. it did something to his ego. You couldn't so much as touch a guy without starting a fight. Everyone with a dick just wanted to shoot you, now a days, so to have this much trust and control sent him soaring.

"I want you," Negan whispers near his ear, chest pressed up against his freckled back.  
His hands slide across his rib cage, around to his front to grab his pecks where he would normally have a pair of boobs to grope. "I don't think I can hold out, thinking about fucking you senseless anymore. I waited too long, picturing you in that hospital bed with me. Just beggin' for me to do you," he pictures in his mind as his hands feel around for the pair of nipples on the blondes chest, "That cute, innocent look on your face breaking apart while I stick my dick up your ass..."

The doctors eyes open while the water continues to pour down over his head, trailing off the tip of his nose. He can feel his hard-on twitch to the sound of Negan's story telling, his brain focused on telling him this will be enjoyable if he tries not to resist.   
He raises his hands against the wall in front of him, palms flat against the tile, feeling how much cooler it is then the water. He presses his rear back against the length prodding him, shuttering out the dangerous question of, "You want to fuck me?"   
A brief peek over his shoulder earns him a kiss and a nuzzle, Negan swooning as his hands disappear around back again and start to kneed at his butt cheaks, "Do I need to seriously fucking answer that? Look at this! This ass should be photographed and posted all over my ceiling so I can jerk off to it every night."

"You're just saying that so... WHOA! Holy christ! What are you--?!" Edwin can't see behind him when Negan drops down onto his knees, pushing him against the wall so just his rump sticks out. He can't even protest properly because of how slack jawed it makes him, feeling a warm tongue try to prod him in his anus.  
He drops his forehead down against the tile and lets out a few sounds of strained extasy. He'll have to take a hand off the wall to touch himself if Negan continues to do this to him, "Oh.. GOD, that fucking feels good!"

Negan gives his rear a little smack, kneeding it more and pulling the globes apart so has better access to the flexing, excited muscle opening. He runs his soapy finger over it, cleaning it before pushing it inside Jenner, "I'll take your sweet ass on every fucking surface we got. Make you moan so loud the neighbours get jealous.." Negan utters in promise before pushing and pulling his finger in and out of his hole. He licks around it, even tilting his head so he can lavish and suck on one of Edwin's balls hanging down between his thighs.

The doctor is beside himself by now, hardly able to answer. He can feel his knee start to tremble from the pleasure, his hand squeezing his errection to keep it from firing off too soon. He's arching his back out, clenching his teeth while he growls and tries to push himself onto those fingers, "Screw the neighbours, Negan. Gimmy a good reason why I should care what they want."

Negan repeatedly assaults his fingers into Edwin before pulling them out and placing a firm kiss to his rump, patting it nicely, "...Which is exactly why you should be my wife. I love the way you think. You care enough to be a good doc, but could give a shit less about holding a social standing point among the idiot masses. Now grab a towel and dry off," he gets back up, turning the water off and shaking out his hair, "Cause you belong on my bed, darlin'."

Jenner is so high strung still from having his back side worshipped, that he doesn't dare say no yet. He has to exit the shower carefully to keep his wobbling legs from giving out on him. He quickly dries off, Negan rushing to do the same before they ditch soggy towels in exchange for feverish kissing against a random empty wall. 

They bump and touch and fumble, all the way back to the bed where Jenner pushes Negan to flop back onto the matress alone.  
Ed smiles, face a bit flushed as he pants, "You got yourself a deal, hot stuff. But you're giving up your first name. So spill."

Negan raises a brow, "Marion. My father liked old wasterns. That what you wanted?"

The doctor looks puzzled, still panting, "After John Wayne? Whatever. I still like it. I'm just refusing to moan my guts out, constantly calling you Negan if you expect me to act like your significant other."

Negan shrugs and runs his clean toes up the side of Jenner's shin, tempting him, "Can call me whatever the fuck you want, butter cup. Now come're so this can keep going."

Edwin feels his dick twitch again in excitement as he purses his lips, "Oooo' I dunno..." he steps around the bed, faking disinterest as he leaves the bedroom to go into the clinic to scrounge for something. Negan rolls onto his side, craning his neck to see what the hell he's doing. When he returns he has a bottle of something in his hands, already open and squeezed into the tips of his fingers, "I think a bit more of that tongue is due first." He crawls onto the bed, rubbing the clear jelly lubricant all over his manhood as he kneels next to Negan's body.

Negan watches intently as he strokes his stiffness back to full, grabbing the bottle to read the label on the front, "Ultrasound gel? And this is safe?"  
"Water based, so yes. Very safe. Specially if you plan on breaching me," The blonde doctor informs him before getting onto all fours and waiting for the next step to happen, "So come get it, Mister Marion."

Negan feels a cold shiver up his back upon hearing his first name being used. He steals a handful of the gel and slicks himself up with it, wiping any left overs off onto the sheets, "Baby, I'm gonna try to be gentle, but I can't promise much. I am WAY too into this right now."

"Then you better get me relaxed again, so it all fits together nice," Ed tells him, stuffing a pillow under his head while he sways his behind in the air.

"God Damn. Hot doctor needs dick! Better get the hell outta the way!" Negan cheers as he gets in behind him and gets back to work, stuffing his face into a bunch of cute ass.  
He can hear Edwin start to pant and moan again after a minute, reaching to tug himself like he did before. He swats the hand away, stealing that job too. He just bends his cock down until he can jerk him from behind, tugging like a farm hand milks a dairy cow with an enormous teet.

Jenner chews his lip and leaves it for him to do, feeling over spoiled and fully serviced, "...Little more. Almost.."  
Negan delves his tongue into him, twisting and flicking it against his hole until Ed starts to make that needy sound again. He grunts, lapping the flat of his tongue against the pucker until Edwin cries out that he's getting too close.   
He stops then, flipping the doctor onto his back and yanking his legs up by the ankles until he has his legs wrapped around Negan's waistline, "I wanna look at you when I make you come." 

Ed gets comfortable, ready to let Negan do whatever he wants to. The push in is easier with all the added lubrication, that much he's sure of, but it's still painful to stretch out so wide.  
His partner goes slowly, careful not to hurt him. He can feel that Negan is only in him by about an inch, waiting for his muscle to release pressure before deepening it further. He wraps his arms around Negan's neck and shoulders, shuttering a groan as he starts to push in again. Slowly, he breathes out. Once he's up to his balls, he hoists Jenner up onto his lap, the two of them connected and knelt upon the bed together.

Negan's arms are strong, fully capable of holding him tight so they can fuck sitting up like this, "How's that? That feel good, princess?"  
Edwin is gasping, his prostate and rectum so pushed against and full that he's nearly in tears. It hurts, but it feels so bloody good he's afraid to move, "Too much.."  
Negan grunts as he lays him back down against the sheets, kissing up his neck, "Shit. Sorry. There, that better?"

Ed nods, feeling a lot more stable and a lot less discomfort. He looks down at where Negan is hooking his knees unto the crooks of his elbows, sitting back so he can give a test push. He reaches a hand to himself again, not being stopped this time, "That's... much better. More. Faster."

Negan starts to thrust his hips forward, doing slow, deep thrusts until he's asked to increase speed again. They're both quickly starting to enjoy it this time, moaning and breathing raggedly between making out. 

It takes Negan sitting back on his haunches, thrusting fast and hard to get Jenner to come first in a hot, noisy display. There's semen poured out over his hand and over his stomach as Negan keeps going for his own orgasm.  
He pulls Edwin's ankles up almost to his shoulders, banging him with loud sounds of skin slapping as he moans out that he's getting closer. 

"Holy.. fuck, Marion.." The doctor pants as he grips the matress behind his head, chest flexing.   
"Yes, that's it.. ohhhh god, come oooon," Negan begs as he hits it home.   
He flops down to kiss Ed on the lips as he pushes deep and slow into him for the last few strokes. Edwin can feel it spill inside his body, warm like a cup of coffee puddled in the wrong organs.

He moans into the kissing, rocking against Negan as he tries to steal what he can of the hardness left in his cock. He hugs him as he comes down off his high, and lets go when Negan wishes to pull out the rest of the way and roll off to the side. 

He turns to him on his side, staring at him as he's still slowing his breathing, "I think.. that was worth the wait," Ed smiles.  
Negan looks over at him, Jenner's face still red, blushing from all the exertions, "Think I'll start a list of places I wanna tap that, starting with the kitchen of our new house. You ever have sex and eat at the same time? That shit's the bomb."

"The bomb huh?" Jenner chuckles, "I guess so. Just don't go waisting any good food. Carrot and cucumbers are for ladies and salads. Not my butt," he jokes.

Once he's got enough energy back, the doctor rolls his lazy body out of bed to go take a leak in the bathroom and clean himself up. The feeling of liquids trying to come back out of his body is disgusting, but such is the way of love making. Everything felt dirty afterwords, didn't matter if it was with men OR women.

Negan lays there, listening to him jump back into the shower for a quicky with the door still wide open. He feels a bit sticky with sweat, but too tired to move, so he swipes a bit of dirty clothing off the floor and uses it to wipe himself down. He'll shower in the morning while Edwin is sleeping; Negan usually waking within a half hour of the sun coming up out of habit. 

"Ahh. Much better," The blonde man sighs happily as he lays back down on his side of the bed. "Big day tomorrow. We should get some sleep."   
Negan nods in agreement, rolling onto his side and pulling Jenner by his arm to come spoon up behind him. He kisses Ed's hand on the knuckles and hugs it to his chest, content with the warmth pressed against his back, "Wish I would've met you sooner. Maybe I wouldn't have changed for the worse."  
Jenner snuggles his nose into his neck, smiling, "It was meant to be this way. Don't be hard on yourself. I'll be here to help you."  
"My new angel. Bringing me to repent for my sins and guide me anew," Negan whispers as he starts to drift off.

Edwin was never too religious, being a major scientist and all. But he supposes for Marion's sake, he'd drop to his knees and beg God to lead him if it meant he could keep him safe.


End file.
